Kopi is a traditional coffee commonly served in Malaysia and Singapore. Its aromatic smell and less bitter taste made it a local favorite drink from Singaporeans and tourists alike. There are different types of Kopi that you can order when you are on your Hello! Singapore city tour and will surely leave you wanting for more.

If you are craving a strong hit of caffeine and wanted to have a Kopi Singaporean style, we have gathered the simple recipe of Kopi that you can make at the comforts of your home.

Video credits: the silent tiger

INGREDIENTS

• A mug

• Coffee filter

• Coffee (roasted with margarine)

• Water

PROCEDURE

• In a container, put 12-15 grams of coffee per 8 oz cup.  

• Pour hot water (around 95 degrees Celsius), and stir. 

• Wait 4-5 minutes.

• Filter the coffee into the stainless pot using the coffee sock.

•  Pour coffee into the cup.

•  Put the condensed milk and/or sugar into a cup.

You can now enjoy your freshly made Kopi which is best paired with Kaya toast . Enjoy and happy snacking!

Singapore sling is a classic gin-based cocktail that every cocktail connoisseur needs to taste.- A must-try on your Hello! Singapore tour!. It was developed by a Hainanese bartender working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel, Singapore. Back in the day when it is considered inappropriate for women to drink alcohol in public, Ngiam Tong Boon found this a perfect opportunity to invent a perfect drink for women in distress especially for the upper-class women- Imagine a soldiers wife worried about his husband during the war- The Singapore Sling by then appeared to be a fruit punch, an acceptable drink for women to consume.

Singapore Sling is pretty easy to make. Get all your spirits and alcohols ready and we will teach you how to make your own Singapore Sling at home!

Video Credits: Tipsy Bartender

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz. Gin

• 1/2 oz.Cherry Liqueur

• 1/3 oz.Grenadine

• 4 oz.Pineapple Juice

• 1/4 oz. (7.5ml) Cointreau

• 1/4 oz. (7.5ml) Bénédictine

• 1/2 oz. (15ml) Fresh Lime Juice

• 1 dash Angostura Bitters

• Garnish: Pineapple, Cherry

PROCEDURE

• Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a highball glass.

• Garnish with pineapple slice and cherry.

Enjoy your refreshing Singapore Sling! Happy drinking!

Photo credits to thespruceeats.com

A curry puff is a snack of Southeast Asian that is most popular in Singapore. It is a small pie consisting of curry with chicken and potatoes in a deep-fried or baked pastry shell. A local favorite to eat during breakfast or tea time. You can buy curry puff in any hawker center in Singapore or you can also try this delicious food when you book Hello! Singapore Food Tour.

Making curry puff is not really that complicated to do and you can even do it at the comforts of your home. below is the recipe and steps on how to make your homemade curry puff.

Video credits: MyKitchen101en

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

• 150g Russet potato (peeled and cut into cubes)

• 100g chicken meat (cut into small pieces)

• 2 tsp curry powder

• 1 ½ sugar

• ½ salt

• ½ tsp chicken stock powder (optional)

• 6 pcs curry leaves (optional) 20g shallot (chopped)

• 2 tbsp oil 3 tbsp water 1 egg (room temperature)

For the Dough

• 175g all-purpose flour

• 50g margarine

• 55g water

• ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp oil

PROCEDURE

• Cut chicken meat into small pieces, add in curry powder, sugar and salt, marinate for about 20 minutes.

• Steam both Russet potato and 1 egg for 10 minutes. When the egg is done, let it sits in cold water, this will make it easy to peel and get a clean looking egg.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok or skillet, sauté chopped shallot until fragrant, add in marinated chicken, 6 pieces of curry leaves (optional), stir fry until almost done.

• Add in steamed potato, ½ tsp chicken stock powder (optional) and 3 tablespoon of water, stir until potato filling is thickened; filling should be wet but not dripping. Set aside to cool.

• For dough: Mix flour and salt, rub margarine into flour mixture. Add in 55g(ml) water, knead until dough is formed, knead in 1 teaspoon of oil. Wrap the dough with cling wrap and rest for 20 minutes.

•  Divide dough and filling into 6 equal portions. Flatten dough into round shape; fill with potato filling and ⅙ of hard-boiled egg.

• Fold in half, seal and pleat the edge.

• Deep-fry at 170°C until golden brown.

  Now, you can enjoy your home made curry puff with your family and friends! Happy snacking!

Recipe and procedure credited to mykitchen101en.com
Photo credits to allsingaporestuff.com

It is time once again for another Corona Diary stories from one of our Hello! Singapore Tour Guides. Let us hear it this time from Daryl or as what we call him Agent Daz . A very passionate tour guide that every guest he had surely say they had a fun and memorable Singapore tour.

Daryl used to work in the financial industry. After some self-reflection, and wanting to have a well-balanced life, he decided to follow his childhood dream of becoming a professional tourist guide. A well-thought decision with no regrets!

Now that Covid-19 Pandemic is affecting the world, where no tours and mass gatherings are allowed in the city. He has found other ways, to keep him busy. Find out from our short interview with the one and only Agent Daz!

Agent Daz having fun with this little kitten

On a normal day, you are usually out on the streets showing our guests the beauty of Singapore. Given the travel restrictions imposed by several countries how are you spending your time now? What keeps you busy?

Taking lots of online courses, Exercising, Playing with animals.

We know that you also suffer from wanderlust. When this Pandemic is finally over, and you can go anywhere overseas where will your wanderlust take you and why?

I love the blue ocean and white beaches in the Philippines.

After the world comes out of this dark time and that everyone can travel to Singapore again, what is the first thing or place you are most excited about showing our guests and why?
The natural beauty of Singapore. e.g. the walking trail of Macritchie Reservoir. Because, we need to “stop and smell the roses in life”, learn to appreciate the natural atmosphere around us.

What is one thing that this very unfortunate event taught you or helped you realize?

Life is too short, and it is not about material wealth. Friendship, love, camaraderie, is what is important in life.

Daryl’s Message to everyone

Looking forward to see you guys very soon.Meanwhile, to you and your family, STAY SAFE and STAY HEALTHY : )

#photooftheday #sg #instatravel #adventure #welltraveled #tourism #travelbug #lonelyplanet #travelstoke #hellosingaporetours #ilovesg #hellosg #singaporetour #sgtravel #sgtourguide #singaporetourguide #visitsingapore #wewillriseagain #beautifuldestination #singapore #singaporetourguide #personal tour

Kaya toast is a favorite snack in Singapore best paired with hot or cold Kopi (local coffee). This is one for the must-try local snack in your Hello! Singapore food tour. It is a toasted bread filled with butter and kaya- A jam made from eggs, sugar, coconut milk, and pandan leaves.

In making the Kaya toast, you have the option of making your own kaya jam or you can buy a bottle of kaya jam to any Asian stores near you.

Video credits to : SweetHailey

We have gathered the ingredients and procedure for you to try your own Kaya toast snack perfect for your family and friends!

INGREDIENTS

• Bread

• Kaya jam

• Butter

• Egg

• Little bit of soy sauce

PROCEDURE

• Boil 1 or 2 eggs for 6 to 7 minutes (medium cooked eggs) and set aside

• Cut the crust off the bread

• Toast or Fry the bread on a pan

• Spread the Kaya toast generously onto the bread

• Cut your cold butter and put it on top of your toast coated with Kaya jam

• Cut the toast into two slices

• Crack the soft boiled egg and add a little bit of soy sauce to taste

Dip your Kaya toast to the soft boiled egg and voilà! you just made your own Kaya toast snack ala Singapore style. Happy snacking!!

All over the world, we applaud the bravery of our frontliners, from nurses, hospital staff, grocery clerks, police and other officials who join together to fight Covid-19. They are the people who never get tired of helping the general public to have “a bit of a normal life” and for the public to stay at home especially in this unfortunate time.

At Hello! Singapore Tours, our frontliners are our tour Guides. These people kept their enthusiasm and positive attitude to continuously show the beauty of the city when walking tours were still allowed Singapore.

Now, that the city has strictly implemented a policy that no mass gatherings and tours are allowed in the city. I know that you are all wondering, how are they doing now? What’s keeping them busy?

Meet DAN, our tour guide from California. A former aircraft mechanic and project manager who fell in love with Singapore instantly. A very passionate tour guide who shares his experience and knowledge about the city and why he fell in love with it.

Hello! Singapore Tour guide Dan spending some quality time with his two wonderful children.

On a normal day, you are usually out on the streets showing our guests the beauty of Singapore. Given the travel restrictions imposed by several countries how are you spending your time now and what keeps you busy?

I am a single dad, so most of my day is spent keeping my kids in-line and making sure they complete their home-based learning activities. My main job aside from tour guiding is performing and tutoring music, so I've been pushing out more recordings and online lessons from home. 

We know that you also suffer from wanderlust. When this Pandemic is finally over, and you can go anywhere overseas where will your wanderlust take you and why?

I have no particular travel plans at the moment and my boys and I have season passes to Universal Studios Singapore to use up when it opens up again. My dream holiday is to take the kids to Philadelphia in the fall to watch an Eagles game and to see for ourselves who truly deserves the crown of "Best Philly Cheesesteak".

After the world comes out of this dark time and that everyone can travel to Singapore again, what is the first thing or place you are most excited about showing our guests? and why?

I love the Old Airport Road Hawker Centre. As a guide, we have a great deal of freedom to tailor the food we try to the guests' preferences. The face people make when they take a bite of something completely unfamiliar but unmistakably delicious is like watching a kid eat chocolate for the first time. 

What is one thing that this very unfortunate event taught you or helped you realize?

I have realized, now more than ever, that I'm comforted by a warm, virtual blanket of benevolent people who I'm proud to call my friends and family. It's comforting to see kindness rise to the top in this unfortunate time. 

Dan’s personal message

I would really love to see local Singaporeans or Expats living in Singapore sign up for tours as soon as we open for business again. Tours are not solely for tourists. I'd especially love to see new expat families sign up for the Hello Singapore Food Tour to gain perspective on living in Singapore through food and get an introduction to how to eat locally on a budget. 

The Hello! Singapore team is still and will always be here. We are all optimistic that we will get through this and we will come back stronger. We are all looking forward to showing you around Singapore once this Pandemic is over.

#photooftheday #sg #instatravel #adventure #welltraveled #tourism #travelbug #lonelyplanet #travelstoke #hellosingaporetours #ilovesg #hellosg #singaporetour #sgtravel #sgtourguide #singaporetourguide #visitsingapore #wewillriseagain #beautifuldestination #singapore #singaporetourguide #personal tour

Food is one of our greatest passions. Where to find the best eats is a common topic among Singaporeans. We are even known to discuss what to have for dinner as we’re enjoying lunch! Our strategic position as a shipping port has long enticed people from around the world to set up home here, creating a melting pot of cultures. Many have brought with them a taste of their homeland but infused local flavours, producing a vibrant culinary scene making their food tourism very diverse.

#thetravellingnomads #intravelist #backpackersintheworld #travel #beautifulseason #tripscout #digitalnomad #sustainabletravel #photographeveryday #amazing #photographyislife #keepexploring #livetoexplore #wandering #travelanddestinations #seetheworld #tlpick #travellingthroughtheworld #postcardsplace

A wide variety of shops like goldsmiths and traditional Indian beauty parlours can be found along Serangoon Road, the main thoroughfare of Singapore’s Little India district. On the corner of Serangoon Road and Bukit Timah Road is Tekka Centre , which houses a wet market and food centre on level 1 and retails traditional Indian clothing, textiles and footwear, on the upper floor. Located off Serangoon Road is one of Singapore’s most famous shopping centres: Mustafa Centre. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this emporium sells an incredibly wide range of products— from sportswear, electronics to groceries and jewellery—plus it has a 24-hour pharmacy.

An interior view of a shop selling saris

In the heart of Little India, Jothi Store & Flower Shop (www.jothi. com.sg) is worth a visit to catch whiffs of fragrant jasmine garlands and peruse traditional Indian beauty products, homeware, and kitchenware. After exploring the area, bring home Little India-inspired fabrics, cushion covers and more from Onlewo’s Jalan Besar outlet nearby.

Visitors will find traditional shophouses alongside chic yoga studios and traditional coffee shops beside hip cafés that crank out cold-brewed coffees in the Katong and Joo Chiat neighborhood. Visit quaint Peranakan (Straits-born people of Chinese and Malay/ Indonesian heritage) boutique Rumah Bebe to pick up exquisite fabrics and embroidered pouches, and then head over to Cat Socrates.

This charming shop, founded by Hellen Jiang, specialises in Singaporean literature and quirky local-inspired Bric- a-Brac—think cushions that resemble tutu kueh (steamed cakes with crushed peanut or grated coconut filling), feline- related merchandise and Singlish (a colloquial form of English) postcards. Take a trip down to MOX, a co-creative working space, for fresh finds by young entrepreneurs.

Visitors to MOX can take home contemporary renditions of traditional clothing from modern batik (traditional Indonesian fabric) fashion brand Baju by Oniatta and modern cheongsam (a body-hugging traditional Chinese dress) brand Studio HHFZ

Peranakan shophouses at Katong.

Lovers of timeless fashion from the 1950s to 1990s should head to A Vintage Tale, a concept store showcasing carefully curated collections from across the globe. For specialty coffee, travelers can pop by Choice Cuts Goods + Coffee for a cuppa and enjoy it while browsing vinyl records in a relaxed atmosphere.

The historic Arab Street which lies between Victoria Street and Beach Road in Singapore’s Kampong Glam district is known for its well-preserved shophouses selling all manner of textiles and carpets. Local dressmakers still come here to pick up lace, silks and batik (traditional Indonesian fabric) sold by the yard or metre from shops like Molkan Fabrics and Collezione La Prima. For modern batik designs, visit stores such as Ozel and Utopia Apparels.

Today, an array of cafés and concept stores, such as All Things Delicious , Scene Shang and bespoke perfume-maker Sifr Aromatics , can also be found alongside the textile and carpet shops. Just off Arab Street is Haji Lane, a vibrant alley covered with colorful street art. Shop for home accessories and fashion pieces at the Salad Shop, bespoke jewellery and apparel at SSFW and edgy menswear at Sup Clothing.

Visitors looking for unique lifestyle products can check out the numerous pop-up shops at So Gelam Market—a kampong-style (villages) weekend street market held monthly in